MINI Aceman - Engines, performance & drive

A MINI can’t be considered a MINI if it isn’t fun to drive, and the Aceman nails its brief right from the off. You’ll immediately notice a firm edge to the ride – even within the first few hundred yards – but the benefit of this is a deftness to the way this small SUV handles. It’s as sharp as anything in this class – even including the petrol-powered Ford Puma.

The Aceman has almost too many drive modes to mention, but you’ll rarely need to delve deeper than the usual Core, Green and Go Kart settings – the latter replicating a traditional ‘sport’ mode. Which you choose has an effect on a number of parameters – from motor response to steering weight, as well as the sound the car makes. The raciest of these isn’t what you’d call conventional; the almost sci-fi-like sound crescendos in a pleasing enough way, and changes tone if you push the accelerator pedal past a certain point. It doesn’t attempt to replicate an old-school petrol engine like the Abarth 500e does, but it still offers a level of engagement missing in many rivals.

Elsewhere, there’s a heft to the steering that you’ll not find in any of this car’s Stellantis (Jeep, Alfa Romeo, Peugeot, Vauxhall, Citroen) competitors. Turn in is sharp, and there’s loads of grip – despite a small tendency for torque steer if you ask for full power from the off. We’ve only driven the range-topping Aceman SE so far, which offers plenty of power through the ‘rev’ range. It’ll do 0-62mph in just over seven seconds – we can’t see many needing to step up to the full-fat JCW, which trims this time even further.

Comfort is the only area where we’d perhaps wish for a little more. The ride felt firm on European roads, with the car constantly bobbing around – even on seemingly smooth tarmac. It’s not a deal breaker, but we’d encourage you to try a car in the UK before signing on the dotted line. There’s a little wind noise at motorway speeds, but no worse than rivals’.